Downfall
by viva los angeles
Summary: Really short CZ story taking place after the season premiere. R&R.


**A/N: After seeing "Surprise" I had to write this. Quickie oneshot (I usually hate stories under 1k words but apparently I'm a hypocrite).  
**

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_Downfall_

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_Dear Zoey,_

_I'm really sorry about you walking in on me and Rebecca_.

Chase scratched a line through the words with the ballpoint pen that Zoey'd loaned him six months ago and he'd "neglected" to give back, then crumpled up the paper and threw it across the room.

_Dear Zoey,_

_I can explain_.

He couldn't say that either—it wasn't true. He really couldn't. More crunching, more throwing.

He had to express his sorrow, embarrassment, and most importantly, **love**, for Zoey Brooks, but he had no idea how to go about it.

_Dear Zoey:_

_Sit down. And don't stop reading at any point. I promise you, this ends well._

_At the risk of sounding like an egomaniac and you getting me confused with a certain Ogan-lay Eese-ray, I hope I didn't hurt you._

_That is, if you were offended in any way by what you saw in my dorm room the first day, I hope I didn't hurt you. If you weren't hurt, I'm sorry for hoping that you weren't._

_I've confused myself already._

_But that's what you do to me. I get klutzy, I break things, I say stupid stuff, and most importantly, I can't think straight. That's why I never told you in the first place._

_The aforementioned egomaniac and Michael, my best friends and roommates, have been bothering me to tell you ever since I told _them_. And so I guess I'll get it out._

_I love you, Zoey._

_I know that sounds clichéd, especially because I never thought I'd believe in high-school love. But somehow, that's changed._

_I know Lola and Quinn told you what I think. They told me. Unfortunately, I never got around to telling you about Rebecca._

_This is how it works. We were dating the summer before freshman year at PCA, and I pretty much forgot about her when I met you_

_Not to say that you incite cheating or anything, but let's get one thing straight—you're gorgeous and smart and one of the nicest girls I've ever met, and you made me forget _everything_, not just my summer girlfriend. I got low grades for the entire first month of school because I forgot everything I ever knew._

_Rebecca and I had no contact last year and I completely forgot about her existence. So when I went home and found her waiting for me, expecting to renew the relationship, well, I remembered how much I liked her. So naturally, I forgot about you over the summer._

_Of course, I have no excuse. You and I emailed back and forth over the summer, and yes, I never told you about her, and vice versa. Now you've met each other under the crappiest of circumstances_

_Granted, had Lola and Quinn kept their giant mouths shut and had I ever received a chance to talk, you would have found out about Rebecca this morning rather than this evening when you unpleasantly walked in on us._

_And you also ought to learn to knock._

_But I'm not here to reprimand you._

_I don't know if I will break up with her because I'm a really nice pushover, and I don't want her first day to end badly. She will be here with us for the rest of the semester, by the way. She might come back next year, but now I doubt that._

_But I _do_ love you._

"Hey Brooks, you've got mail," Coco yelled down the hall, waving a white envelope in the air as she ran, still being pursued by bees. The envelope flew through the air and the pointy corner hit Zoey in the forehead.

"Thanks…" she said, then opened the envelope.

"What is it?" Lola and Quinn both bounded up beside her and watched as she unfolded the sheet of notebook paper slowly.

"It's from Chase," Zoey replied softly.

_Anyway, I understand if you have no desire whatsoever to wait for me to finish my oh-so-rocky romance, and I am sorry for being so self-centered._

_However, once we are broken up, I will wait for you._

_Chase_

Zoey finished reading the letter and sat down where she stood, in the middle of the floor. Starting to cry, she pointed an accusatory finger at the two girls. "This is ALL YOUR FAULT!" she screamed, throwing the letter at them.

Lola looked at Quinn with a pained look as Zoey stood and ran out of the dorm, all the way to Maxwell Hall.

The door was open and the teary Zoey looked into Chase's dorm, where he was sitting sullenly on the couch.

"Do you still want me to knock even though the door's open?" Zoey asked coldly.

"I just broke up with Rebecca," Chase replied, as if he hadn't even heard Zoey speak.

"What?" The blonde walked into the room and sat on the bed opposite Chase.

Sighing, he repeated, "I just broke up with Rebecca."

"Why?"

His voice was flat. "'Cause I love you."

"I'm sorry about that."

"So am I."

After a few moments of silence and getting up from the bed, Zoey sat next to Chase on the couch and leaned her head on his shoulder. "If it makes you feel better, I love you back," she supplied.

"Yay," he said.

Bringing her legs up onto the couch, Zoey stretched out and laid her head on his lap. "Yay indeed."


End file.
